Wednesday, August 27, 2014

With a majority of the storm pond project completed and the
heavy rain the past week we are able to assess how well our holding pond is
working.On August 16th we received
1.25” of rain and on August 18th we received 2.50” of rain, both
times we had little if any standing water.Normally the storm on August 18th would have meant golf
course closure for a day.Other than a little
water in #4 fairway there was not the massive flooding that previously caused
golf course closures. Also
#11 fairway did not get the ponding effect that we previously experienced because
our tile system was able to handle both #12 fairway thru #16 tee and #11
fairway at the same time.Even though the new holding pond is only a
couple of weeks old it has already saved 1 day of golf!

Water moisture
meter and firmness meter

The past couple of weeks we have been experimenting with our
new water moisture meter and firmness meter.These items will really help us keep greens “dialed” in so that we
achieve the right moisture and firmness. Our regime will focus on keep good plant
health while making greens firm but receptive to well struck iron shots.

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New meters

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Due to the wet period
we have experienced and how new these meters are to us we are still
experimenting with the data so that we can hone in how we want our turf to perform.The rest of the season will be a good test so
we can go into 2015 with a good idea of how we can interpret the data to achieve
optimal playing conditions on a more consistent basis.

Needed improvements

Drainage woes …

Now that we have our storm drainage under control, it’s time
to focus on other areas of the course so we can improve both turf health and playability.I still believe that our #1 area for improvement
on the course is adding drainage to many areas of the course. I have broken
down the areas that need drainage to improve turf quality and playability:

1.Greens-
#4, #6, #11, #13, #16 and #17 greens need to be addressed.The excessive rain and high humidity showed
that these putting surfaces need some attention.Keep in mind 2013 and 2014 have been very
mild weather wise, hence turf on these greens looks very good.If we get years of hot, humid and rainy
weather these greens will underperform.Turf loss in seasons of hot, humid and rainy weather should be expected
if we do not correct the problem. Some
minor turf thinning was observed last week on #13, #16 and #17 due to excessive
water and the inability of the water to escape.Although turf still looks good and most members may not notice what I
observed, the question should be asked: What if we had extended periods of
severe weather like in 2010, 2011, and 2012? Would these greens still be as
good as they are now? The answer is no they would not and we should expect less
than stellar conditions.

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Thinning turf on #16 green.Taken 8/25/14

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2.Collars
and Approaches- Overall collars are in the best shape they have been in
5 years.Collars and approaches are
closely related to greens because of their close proximity to each other. So improving drainage in collars/approaches
also has positive impact on drainage on greens and vise versa.Collars like #2, #4, #10 #11, #13, #14, #16,
#17, and #18 could all use some smile drainage to catch water.Collars and the approaches hold the most
water because our greens slope from back to front.This means excess water runs off into the
approach and collar area making them softer and susceptible to all kinds of maladies.
Firmer, healthier turf in the approach
is desired to help shots hit short run onto the putting surface plus with added
drainage we will see less of the worn out turf that can persist in the summer
months of July and August.

#2 collar holds water.

3.Fairway
and Rough- #4, #14 and #16 fairways all have small areas that need some
drainage to improve turf quality.Old
USGA reports confirm that these areas have been problematic for over 25 years.
Also the area in front of #14 tee and east of #6 green hold excessive amounts
of water and should be looked at for future drainage.

#16 fairway swale

The golf course has been in stellar shape all season however
it is my job and that of the greens & grounds committee to look at problems
so we can continually improve our product.By fixing our drainage issues we have more consistency in our
presentation, turf health, and playability. Right now the areas I outlined for drainage
are at the mercy of Mother Nature.Remember she is not always kind . . .